Four of a Kind
by Asira
Summary: AU: Japan's underworld is full of rival syndicates, fighting for power and influence, tainting all that they touch. Four young lives are suddenly thrust into this world of deception and death, and childhoods are lost forever.
1. CHAPTER 1: A Story Never Told

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well, "**Four of a Kind**" is supposed to be a prequel to my other story "**All Just A Game**," but it could stand on its own. Well, go ahead! Read and Enjoy!

Note: _Italics_ in my stories are either thoughts or written documents.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: A Story Never Told**

An eerie white glow from a single computer was the only source of light; the humming of the monitor the only sound. A figure sat, staring aimlessly at the blank screen.

She needed a story. She had all the ingredients and now she needed to bake the cake...but she was never that great of a cook.

_All the information gathering...the spying...the undercover work...all would have been done in vain if I can't get a story by tomorrow._

Deadline was at 11:00 PM. Papers would start printing at midnight.

:_Help me_: she typed into the empty space.

With a sigh of frustration, she slowly stood up.

"I need some coffee..."

The smell of rich, dark bliss wafted to her nose and stirred her senses. She sipped. Hot liquid slithered down her throat and had burned her tongue, but she was accustomed to it.

"My story is due in a few hours. It's 9:00 PM and I have nothing..."

Flashbacks of the last eight months rushed through her head. She remembered what she had gone through in order to get the information she wanted; the life-threatening dangers and too many close calls to count. She had known from the beginning that she would be putting her life in jeopardy. She would be found out, she understood that fact, but she also knew how crucial it was to get this story out, before innocent lives were taken. The life of an undercover reporter was full of pitfalls. Hell, the life of an undercover _anything_ was just one big deal with the devil.

But Risa Sakaki didn't care. This was important.

_...God...Ahh!...I have to write **something**!..._

She returned to the empty screen...and stared.

:tick:

9:10 PM – zero

:tick:

9:20 PM – zip

:tick:

9:30 PM – nothing

:tick:

"...Oh God! I'll just wing-it and see what happens!"

The room was filled with the rapid clicking of buttons and the previously unmarked screen was quickly being invaded by foreign black symbols.

_This story has to be finished...

* * *

_

_The Syndicate Wars: Internal Conflicts _

_by Misaki Somaki, Tokyo Times_

_The streets of Tokyo have ceased to be safe. People who look like any other person could be part of its underground life. With their shady dealings, violent silencers and deadly codes, the Japanese syndicates have slowly woven its threads into the very heart of Tokyo society._

_With control of almost half of Japan's most prominent businesses, these syndicates vie for every single one of them. But, while competition between groups is fierce, there are other threats. Mutiny inside the groups; internal wars for the power of the head position._

_The Zunoakuu syndicate, led by Boss T. Zuno, is one of Japan's most powerful and internally stable groups. With a strict code of silence and obligatory loyalty, this syndicate has made a name for itself in its twenty-plus years in existence. Members found to be conspiring against Boss T. disappear without a trace, only to be found months later, their bodies cut and slashed into an unrecognizable mass of bloody limbs. This group has the complete control of Japan's largest group of detectives and half the control of Tokyo's police force, along with contacts and operatives everywhere. Hajike Shikuno, Boss T's trusted right-hand man, is the epiphany of syndicate loyalty._

"_For the good of the syndicate," Shikuno's trademark quote, uttered before silencing a traitor, is also one of Zunoakuu's important principles. His swift, merciless blade slices its victim, but leaves him to suffer the pain of death. But, is this man truly so truly devout to the syndicate that he would do anything for it? In a word: absolutely. His pious commitment to the syndicate has even led him to the murder of his own brother, who was discovered embezzling syndicate assets to his bank account._

_Now, there has been some speculation on just how **far **this man will go for the Zunoakuu. Rumors of Shikuno's dislike of Boss T's methods of operation are spreading, and sources even inform of a plan to undermine Boss T's position as leader of the Zunoakuu.

* * *

_

She stopped. She had gotten to the part where the truth must be told, but...the consequences... Would she risk everything writing it? Writing the plan that she had spent the last year of her life trying to find out and the last five months trying to get details?

She had gone into the syndicate under the alias of Misaki Somaki, her pen name. She entered as a novice, and, as expected, was followed around for five months. After performing tasks that gained her some credibility, she was slowly accepted into Zunoakuu's inner circle. Here, after three more months, she had finally learned Shikuno's real plan. There would be a murder, "a massacre" he called it, at Mechiyo Park, a.k.a. Mercy Park. Boss T. would be there with his wife and that would be the time they would strike.

"Any civilian life lost would only add to the splendor of my ascendancy," he had said. "It will be a day to remember. A bloodbath at Mercy Park. No mercy at all. It will be a paradox in itself! People running and screaming, and I will be there to kill Boss T. and attain the title as the new leader of the Zunoakuu syndicate. My name will live on forever."

She was kept on surveillance, so she couldn't have told the authorities, and even if she did, they might have been under the power of Shikuno anyway. She was certain that nobody had followed her, but if they did, she had her own way of vanishing. While undercover, she had rented out an apartment two blocks away from her own. This would be used as a ruse to get the "spies" comfortable. They would think that she had gone to bed and what's done is done. She knew that they would probably fall asleep on the job, she had already met them. She would then sneak out and casually walk to her own apartment. That's what she had done tonight.

This was her only chance of getting her story out. All she had to do was type up the story, e-mail it to the newspaper staff and whoever worked the deadline shift would take care of the rest.

The clock read 10:30. Deadline was in thirty minutes. Would she risk it?

_...Yes...The people have to know..._

She continued.

* * *

_Thanks to a secret correspondent, Shikuno's plan has been imparted to me, which I will now pass on to the public as a single act of defiance to all syndicates. _

_The plan was to tell Boss T. that his ex-wife, who shall not be named, was conspiring with the rival Yokashi syndicate. Shikuno planned to then inform Boss T. that this piece of information was legitimate and to suggest that he hold a meeting with his wife. Mercy Park would be suggested by one of Shikuno's supporters while others agreed. With the urging of his most loyal "friend," Boss T. would have no other choice than to proceed with the meeting._

_This premeditated "sweep" is set to happen in –

* * *

_

"Two days."

The typing stopped. Risa froze.

_...No..._

"Why have you stopped Miss Somaki...or is it Miss Sakaki? Why don't you just finish your little report? We will kill Boss T. on March 12, two days from now."

Risa turned to the man behind her. Had he been in the room the whole time? Watching her?

He stood a mere two feet away from her, observing her horror-stricken face and smiled.

_This can't be happening...Not now...My story...People have to know...or else..._

Risa's heart sank as visions of a once happy green park changed into a sea of red leaves. The blood of innocent civilians, unknowingly caught in the shower of bullets of a syndicate insurrection. Her throat tightened.

"Now...Don't cry...I promise that I'll make your death a quick one. You were always one of my favorites, Misa, so I'll give you some mercy, but I can't have you publicizing my efforts just yet darling."

He touched her face.

"You are very beautiful...What a shame..."

The woman's thoughts were elsewhere. Her mind was spiraling downward into a dark void, regrets of her past flashing in her mind. A jumble of emotions ripped her heart. And finally, one last thought:

_I could have stopped it..._

Then all thoughts ceased. Her mind cleared.

A swift slash to the throat. Warm blood pooling on the cold, tiled floor. As her body went limp, the man walked towards the front door, a cell phone in hand.

"Kunei, I need a clean-up crew in here."

* * *

While lost in her the chaos of her mind, Risa Sakaki never heard the words of the man before he had ended her life.

"For the good of the syndicate..."

* * *

_Two days later... _

:RING-RING:

"Hello, this is—"

The person on the other line interrupted the woman.

"But..."

:pause:

"Right _now?_"

:pause:

"...All right...Bye..."

* * *

The woman placed the phone back on its stand.

"Mommy, who was that?" a little girl asked from the kitchen table.

"It was your father, dear."

"Daddy?"

The girl's eyes sparkled. She hadn't seen her father in years.

"What did he say?"

"Well, he wants to talk to me..."

"Here? Is he coming over here?"

"No, I'm going to go meet him at Mechiyo Park..."

"Can I come?"

"No...I mean, your father wanted to talk to me alone. Maybe next time, okay honey?"

"Oookaaay," the girl sighed sadly.

Her mother hugged her.

"Don't worry, it'll just be a matter of time when you see your daddy. He's just a very...busy man," the woman stated, grabbing her light jacket. "Hmm...It looks like its going to rain...I'll be home soon."

The woman walked towards the front door and heard her daughter running behind her.

"Promise?" she asked as her mother opened the door. It was a question the young girl always asked her before she went out.

Dr. Mizuno smiled.

"I promise."

* * *

**AN:** So, what'd you think? For all you AJaG readers out there, I know this story seems to wander off from my usual wacky happiness, but it's for the best. Without this story, I wouldn't be able to build a decent story-plot for AJaG (not that I didn't have one in mind), but this just adds intensity for future AJaG screwyness... Anyway, watch out for upcoming chapters! Please review! (flames welcome, I don't care!)

P.S. Oh yeah, did you like my acronym for "All Just a Game" (AJaG)? So I guess "Four of a Kind" will just have to be referred to FofaK, huh? (I know, not really an acronym, but isn't FofaK much better than FoaK?)-' ...heh...right...


	2. Chapter 2: Secret

**AN: It has been a damn long while, hasn't it? Yup. Five and a half long years. Well, hopefully I get a new set of readers. Enjoy.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: Secret**

She had been used as a pawn since birth; her parents had given her up like an offering to a pagan god in exchange for their own lives. Zuno had taken her then.

_Zuno must have sneered at their groveling and begging._ She smiled at the thought as she watched the mother hug her child goodbye.

* * *

She was named Hisoka and secretly raised and trained by Boss T. Zuno. He had only been twenty-four when he took her, so she had seen him as a big brother during those early years. He kept her existence a secret, much like a thief hiding his stolen goods from the eyes of his enemies. She had attended a public school, five hours away from his main offices in Tokyo and lived alone in a middle-class apartment complex. Zuno would visit her multiple times a week. He taught her everything he knew. From weapons training to hand-to-hand combat to intelligence gathering, he made sure that she was prepared. For what exactly, she didn't bother to ask.

"Now, my little kitten, I know that you can easily find out what I do, but that is the one thing I ask you not to do. If you could please follow my wishes, I'd be very happy," he had requested.

It was out of pure respect and love for him that she never ventured to find out the truth about him or her. Ignoring the question of her true purpose, she obeyed him wholeheartedly. But as her devotion for him began to intensify, so did the strain on their sibling-type relationship. High school had exposed her to relationships and exposed him to a growing teen's physical and mental transformation. Tension between her and Zuno began to mount. His visits were sparse and shorter throughout that period of time. It wasn't until she entered college at the age of seventeen that she was able to let out sigh of relief. He had wished for her to attend a university in Yokohama, which, by her last year in high school, she fervently agreed to do.

She was away from him for four years. During this time, she maintained her skills while studying. She also finally found out the truth about Boss T. Zuno. How could she not when he had decided to publicly announce his new position as the Zunoakuu's leader? It was all over the news. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to get over the shock; curiosity and a twinge of fear drove that away. Her highly trained instincts told her to investigate. She uncovered horror stories of his early "accomplishments" within the syndicate. His dealings with the international black market and arms dealers were tougher to find, but she grudgingly found them, using the tricks he had taught her. As she delved further into his past, she found that for the first time in her life, she was terrified of the man and what he had made her.

And with that, she decided to run. She would tell him she wished to study abroad and then leave without a trace. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in global politics and international studies and wished to further her education in the UK, but Zuno had other plans. She had found him watching the news in her apartment after her graduation ceremony. It was the first time she had seen him since arriving at Yokohama and the comfortable and familiar atmosphere they once had was completely obliterated by then. Fear and distrust consumed her now.

He took her to an expensive restaurant "in celebration of her graduation" and, as the main course was served, looked straight at her.

"Hisoka, you will follow me." he stated, his cold blue eyes locking hers with the intensity of a lion circling its prey.

She was trapped. All thoughts of escape vanished as he had continued to look at her with his piercing gaze.

"Of course."

* * *

It wasn't until much later that she found out that Zuno had married a young doctor while she was away at Yokohama. It was his wish for her to be his new wife's undercover spy/bodyguard. _Whatever came first, depending on the situation_, he had told her. _Just make sure you're not seen by her or anyone around her._

When his daughter was born, he called her secretly to meet with him at their old apartment five hours away from Tokyo.

"Hisoka. I have a new request." He paused, looking away from her then. His eyes scanned the small dwelling that she had grown up in.

"Yes sir?"

He slowly placed his gaze on her.

"My daughter Ami. I want you to protect her. Her life is to be placed above all others."

"Of course sir."

"Above yours."

"Yes sir."

"Above her mother's."

"Yes sir."

"Above mine."

"…"

"Do you understand? Above _mine._"

"…Yes sir."

"Good." Another pause and then a small smile crept onto his face. "And by the way, you have a twin sister."

Her throat tightened. Her family circumstances had never been mentioned before. Any information she had tried to obtain about her past was little if any. Her parents had given her up to Zuno to save themselves. Other than that, she knew nothing. She had assumed she was an only child or that her parents had had another child after she was given away. But to have a _twin_? Exactly what _more _had he been hiding from her for the past twenty-one years of her life?

"Her name is Risa Sakaki. You might want to visit her sometime."

It would be nine years until she finally contacted her sister.

* * *

It had been an unfortunate day when she met Risa. They were identical. She was a reporter with many aliases. Her methods of information gathering were reckless, but showed valuable results. She was excited to meet Hisoka and seemed grateful to have a twin. Her belief of blood ties was so strong that everything she did was relayed back to Hisoka like a weekly gossip column. They would have brunch every Sunday and would talk for two hours about Risa's next story. This was the only free time that Zuno had allowed for Hisoka, and she knew that it wasn't just out of the kindness of his heart that he did so.

When Risa told her of her plan to expose the Zunoakuu, Hisoka had bitten her tongue to keep herself from stopping her sister. She forced back a wave of dread as Risa explained her idea to infiltrate the syndicate to gather information. Risa was good. Very good. And very careful. She would surely get some good insider information on the syndicate. Zuno never talked to her about the politics or introduced her to anyone associated with the Zunoakuu. He always told her to trust nobody. And what he said was final. It was time for her to find out more about the man she worked for. She wanted to know who else was working under him.

Risa had warned her that she would not be able to meet regularly with her. Spies would be sent to watch her the more she got involved with the syndicate. Whatever information she gathered, she sent via unmarked handwritten letters at specific dates and locations given on the previous letter. Her delivery was consistent: a letter two days following a national holiday and a letter one day following a full moon. Her last letter had been written hastily.

_Massacre. Trgts: Boss. T & wife. Mechiyo prk. 03/14. Hajike Shikuno. H, save the girl. Be careful. Love, R._

The day was March 14th when Hisoka had read it.

* * *

And here she was. Sitting in the second story of her house across the street, carefully watching the home as Dr. Mizuno drove off, leaving her ten-year-old daughter unattended. A black sedan pulled up five minutes after the mother had left.

"Must be Shikuno's men."

Hisoka waited. She knew that the extra protection that Zuno had ordered on the house had already been killed. Two men in black suits stepped out.

She aimed.

One man looked up towards the window she was behind.

She fired.

"One down."

The other man quickly turned around as he heard his partner fall. The bullet had been silent.

"What the fu—"

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Hisoka waited, motionless behind her long gun as she scanned the area for any more men to come. It was quiet.

"Shikuno, if you plan to kidnap Zuno's princess, you might want to send more than just two men to get her," she snorted as she relaxed her position after ten minutes.

Any longer of a wait would be pushing her safe period. She grabbed two semi-automatics and slipped a combat knife into her belt buckle before she walked out of her house. She put the hood of her jacket over her head as small droplets of rain had begun to fall from the sky.

She walked across the street and rang the doorbell. There was no answer. She listened. Shuffling and then….was that a man's voice? Hisoka stiffened and listened more intently.

_No. That's just the television._

Breathing a sigh of relief, she knocked on the door. This time, a little face appeared from behind the window next to it. Hisoka immediately put a smile on her face and waved at the girl.

"Your mother asked me to watch you. I live across the street in that house," she pointed as she tried to convince the girl. "Can I come in?"

Ami shook her head and then disappeared behind the curtain.

_Well, at least she's a smart one._

Pulling out her cell, she brought up the recording of Zuno.

"Look sweetheart, your daddy also wants you to let me in. He's on the phone right now," she said, holding the phone up to the window so the girl could see.

After a minute, the lock clicked and the door opened. A little girl with cerulean blue hair and eyes came out with a wide-eyed look on her face.

"Is it really Daddy?"

"Yes, dear, it's him. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Yes!"

Hisoka turned on the recording.

_"Ami, it's daddy. How are you my princess?"_

"I'm really good Daddy!"

_"That's good to hear. Now Ami sweetheart, I want you to go with Ms. Hisoka okay? Daddy and Mommy are going to take a while. Will you do that for me?"_

"O-okay…but—"

_"No buts, just go along with her. She will take good care of you until we get back. Listen to everything she says okay Ami?"_

"Yes Daddy."

_"Good. I love you."_

"I love you too."

_"Goodbye honey."_

"Bye Daddy."

Hisoka stopped the recording and held out her hand. She hailed Zuno for knowing his daughter so well, as well as her reactions.

"Come on, let's pack your stuff and leave."

Ami took the older woman's hand and led her inside. Hisoka looked at the small hand she held.

"What was your name again?"

"Hisoka."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ami."

Hisoka smiled.

Risa had died and Zuno and this little girl's mother had most likely been killed already. The grief that she had felt during those hours after she had received Risa's letter and after the realization of her true duty had left her. She had had no time to inform Zuno of the massacre. She only remembered his orders to her. Her main purpose in life was to protect this girl. Squeezing the girl's hand, determination replaced her previous sorrow.

_This one shall live._

* * *

**AN: Whooooot. Wow. Seriously, if I don't get readers for this, I'm putting this story in a completely different category….. Like…..Avatar the Last Airbender for instance. LOL. Anyway, please R&R!**


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